Rassie Erasmus tweets 'spot on' 34-word reply to Barrett interview
Springboks director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has tweeted his verdict on what All Blacks fly-half Beauden Barrett had to say about being on the receiving end of the brutal red-carded aerial challenge in last weekend’s Rugby Championship.
The 31-year-old – who has dropped to the bench for this Saturday’s round two rematch in Johannesburg – was toppled head over heels in the air when Kurt-Lee Arendse illegally crashed into him in the 75th minute of the round one match in Mbombela, an incident that resulted in the South African being sent off and banned for four matches.
Arendse was taken away on a motorised medical cart due to the injury he sustained in the collision while Barrett, who landed on his head, thankfully managed to walk off the pitch following the six-minute stoppage for treatment.
He has since given his take on the incident in a four-minute-plus interview released by the All Blacks. “It was quite a big collision and I did think of the worst instantly, especially when I was on the ground and I can’t remember who it was told me to stay still,” explained Barrett when asked to recollect what had taken place near the end of a match the All Blacks went on to lose 26-10.
“It wasn’t until the doc came on and asked me, ‘Can you move your fingers? Your toes?’ I was relieved to have passed all those tests and basically sort of sat up and was able to walk off and get on with it. But there was a fearful period there for a minute or so where you do think of the worst.
Fair play to him he is not bitching part of the game. On to the next test good luck Boks 30 this week
— Steve Haag Sports (@STEVEHAAGSPORT) August 10, 2022
“It’s quite scary when you do go over backwards and you find yourself come down on your head and shoulders. It’s part of the game and I understand that every time we go up for the high ball we have got to be courageous. Sometimes the chasers don’t get it right. They have intentions to get up and they find themselves running into the person – which happened on the weekend.
“The players in front of me are doing their best jobs to protect me but it is not always the case. It’s something we have expected from South Africa in terms of the high ball collision and contest. I don’t think they will change anything, they will look to make it a real contest and a 50/50 but we will continue to be courageous… Yeah, relief would be an understatement.”
What Barrett had to say was replied to by Erasmus on Twitter. “Spot on! An area of the game that requires courage and technique and, as you say, injuries are part of the contest. We hope you get well soon and recover from this traumatic experience,” posted the South African director of rugby.
It was four years ago when Barrett had a similarly frightening experience when hit in the air playing for the All Blacks. “I had a similar incident where I came down on my more my shoulder against France in Wellington in 2018, very similar, the chaser got there sooner than he realised…
“It’s high speed, split-second stuff which can be quite dangerous. I was lucky on that occasion and once again lucky on the weekend. Let’s hope I still have plenty of luck in me because I have got to be courageous and so does everyone who goes up to catch a high ball.
“It is such an area of the game where South Africa uses it as a strength because they cause carnage up in the air and they like to play off of the spills and so on. It’s not something we focus on too much when we have got the ball but in terms of the style of rugby they play, the kicking game is a strength they perceive.”
Comments on RugbyPass
It’s going to be a good game. COYQ
1 Go to comments“Shock”, the guy was casually saying he was just slightly surprised. Nowadays if you say anything it gets taken completely out of context. Calm down everyone.
154 Go to commentsAll I can say after reading this bitter, sour, sad piece is… Thank you very much! This will be read in the change room just before kick off on 31 August…
175 Go to commentsLook, we know contradicting opinions and wacky comments bring readers and clicks, so well done to RP for allowing always-wrong-Ben to say something here. However RP needs to put a disclaimer next to his comments for their own credibility. NZ was and is incapable of acknowledging their opp beating them. They refused so with Ire and with Arg in 2022 and also the Boks in 2023 x 2. Nothing Ben says here holds water, NZ attacked backwards, except when Kolisi and Kolbe was off And cyncialy took out Bongi, we played without lineouts for 75mins. Kolisi and Kurt-Lee almost scored twice. Thats 3 vs 2 for Boks, but the Boks opportunities was legal. Boks should have been 16-3 up by half time. Tacticaly the Boks attacked better defended better scrummed better (without a hooker) kicked better and crossed the whitewash more times. Boks beat Fr Eng Nz to win in 23, comeon give some credit at least. Even Federer Verstappen NY Mets, Mamoa, was able to see a great human sport achievement by the Boks and their DNA Boks #RWC27 !🏉
175 Go to commentsForget the 85kg bit, that can become something else. However I do like the one off test on ANZAC day idea. SR plays Fri/ Sat, test players travel Sunday and the squads have the full week together before playing Saturday. Rest of SR has a week off. Either involve women's teams in same location or in the other country and rotate annually. Herbert is right in that change is needed.
3 Go to commentsI’ve read loads of nonsense before but this article takes the cake. Or perhaps someone changed the date for April Fool's Day.
3 Go to commentsReally Rugbypass? Ben Smith I think you forgot what the Springboks did to the All Blacks at Twickenham 8 weeks earlier? Springboks 35 All Blacks 7. There is alot of ifs and buts in your article. The All Blacks threw the sink at the Springboks and unfortunately they were not good enough regardless if they played with 14 men or not. It was the Springboks who forced the All Blacks to make mistakes! Sorry but not Sorry the Springboks is the best ever Rugby World Cup Nation in the world. 4 Cups baby!
175 Go to commentsYou just backed the Boks with that fantastic review! Well done! Have some cake!
175 Go to commentsBen Smith please write up something better than this. The Springboks would have won the world cup if you were 15 men on the field. They would have found a way, they always find a way to beat the All Blacks.
175 Go to commentsWow, there is a lot of “could have” and “ should have” in this waist of time dribble. I love the desperation in this story to search for a glimpse at a silver lining. Here are the facts, NZ was a badly coached and undisciplined shadow of their former glory. They never took the lead in a game they were never going to win.
175 Go to commentsGOTTA MAKE ‘THE GEORGE’ HAPPEN!!!! That’s a great idea! A trans Tasman midget battle on ANZAC Day. I don’t think the ABs Wallabies game should be a one off winner takes all though, just the first match with the other two later in the year with the RC. Reason being, no one will ever shut up about how aussies couldn’t win it when it was a 3 match series.
3 Go to comments@Ben smith. Thats knock out rugby. So honeslty who cares?
175 Go to commentsIt will interesting to know which Irish players said that…
2 Go to commentsNaaaww boys will be boys! Now run along ya wee scamp! Don’t let us catch you at again😏
1 Go to commentsGreat to have Ethan Blackadder back in the Crusaders in the last few weeks. One of the best all round loose forwards around. He played so well last week against the Rebels. Fantastic attitude Ethan has and his comments are spot on.
2 Go to commentsThe author is 100% right. The Springboks know that they don't have near the natural attraction, mana, skill and mystic the All Blacks have. So, Chasing the sun 1 & 2 was concocted to overblow the Boks image on the back of a corruptly obtained “win". It's marketing ploy to force the Boks delusion as the World's Best. I guess World Rugby is also not to be believed when it came out with an apology about how the final was officiated. And if the 2023 final such a superb game by the Boks, then the Boks crying about Referee Bryce Lawrence for decades is also deserves a laugh. Chase the sun and get burned like a moth. A very well written literary piece that tore the Boks and Chasing the sun farce to shreds. 🖤All Blacks🏉
175 Go to commentsI’d say France was far more hard done by in the 2011 final than the All Blacks in this game. Joubert simply refused to call a penalty against the All Blacks in the last quarter even directing an All Black to drop a ball he picked up in an offside position rather than penalizing him. This article also totally discounts the efforts of PSTD. Ask Jordie how well he played. Or the backup flank who played hooker for the entire game. Siya was also a brilliant tackle by Richie from scoring a blinder. Pollard was also fantastic. Look I don’t like the boks style but the only thing more questionable than the content of this article is the timing of it. Get over it already
175 Go to commentsDad Marty was also a handy rugby player for Linwood back in the day. Great bloke. Sensational softball career.
2 Go to commentsWhat ifs are always dangerous. If you look at the game before Sam cane got sent of SA was dominating. You could make the argument the going down to 14 men rallied the troops and made them have to play to win which is always dangerous.
175 Go to commentsOmg… you are bruised And battered Benny. Stop crying … the scoreboard speaks. What a pathetic lover you are.. 🤣🤣🤣
175 Go to comments